Half Past the Point of No Return
by CriminallyCecy
Summary: One of his best friends from the Core is dead , David is pledged with the task of taking care of Tom Young's family. But this task... How can he do this, for a woman that's been in his heart since before she could throw a deadly pitch? Riske love, may not be suited or some. If you think it's wrong please don't read )
1. Chapter 1

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Thumbing the old picture in his hand, David Rossi smiled fondly at the cap-and-gowned young woman he stood holding, smiling, frozen in time on one of the proudest days of his old friend's life: The day Thomas Young saw his daughter graduate college, two years ahead of schedule. Remembering his friend, and seeing his youth captured on the other side of his daughter, made him sad. Thomas had been in the core with him, married right before they were shipped off and had unknowingly created a life right before his deployment. Though Vivienne had been a complete surprise, David remembered well the excitement and exuberance his dear old friend had had the day he came running into the barrack tents waving a letter from home like a mad man, "DAVEY! I'M GOING TO BE A PAPA! Can you believe it?! ME?! A Dad! Look, Juney sent this…" and he had shoved the letter at a laughing David, forcing him to re-read the letter aloud. Young though they were, they celebrated together that night with cheap whiskey.

"_Davey, I'm glad you're my friend, buddy, I'm happy to have someone to share this with." Tom slurred, forcibly clinking his glass on David's. _

"_Me too, bud. Congratulations, June is going to be a wonderful mother." Dave chuckled, secretly terrified for his seventeen year old friend. He couldn't imagine if he was at war, about to become a father, before he was even an adult._

"_You're my best friend, Davey. If anything happens…"_

"_Nothing is going to happen to you, you're going to finish this deployment and we'll be home in time to watch your son grow up." David put a reassuring hand on his friends shoulder._

"_And you'll help me teach him to play baseball?"_

"_Yea, somebody's got to, your pitch is about as bad as your aim.." Drunkenly, they laughed together._

It was a memory from over three decades ago, and still he could envision it as if he were in those trenches again…

"_Davey! Think fast!" _

_Turning around too slowly, David caught a fly ball in his stomach, and doubled over as he felt the wind knock out of him. Thanking the gods it hadn't landed lower as he kneeled on the grass, all the pain in the world was worth her smile, a giggling 7 year old running the bases, and yelling that she had scored._

"_Damn but that girl can throw, help me up, would you?" Rossi shook his head at Tom, who couldn't stop laughing. _

David shook his head as if mimicking the memory and took a long pull from his cigar. If one thing had the ability to render him helpless, it was these painful memories. He pulled a finely embossed letter from it's place on his desk, a wedding invitation from Vivienne, with a hand-written note to call her, she wanted him to give her away, since Tom was gone. Sighing, he reluctantly picked up the telephone and dialed the number scrawled out.

As an afterthought, he drowned his Scotch as it began to ring, any help he could get right now would be well worth it. On his death bed, Thomas had asked David to take care of his family, and he had – he had made sure June was taken care of up until her untimely death and he had also made sure that a healthy trust had been set up for Vivienne, but he couldn't do this.

"Hello?"

David closed his eyes tight at the sound of her voice.

"Vivvy."

"Dave! I'm so glad you called!" Vivenne gushed breathless on the other line. "I'm so sorry to spring this on you, I… I called your assistant – editor – whatever she is… She wouldn't give me your cell phone number."

"That's what I pay her for…" Though why didn't you leave a message? He thought desperately. "Viv let's meet. We should talk about this…"

"There's nothing to talk about, Dave, I want you to be here, it's my wedding, Dave, I _need _you to be here." Short and to the point, and right to the gut, that had always been her style.

"Vivienne.."

"David, don't. I won't take no for an answer. I need you to come up to Jersey this weekend, we're having the rehearsal dinner and ceremony rehearsal. I _need _you."

"Damnit, Viv." He cursed his inability to deny her. Since the moment he'd met her 29 years ago, he'd been in love.

"Please." And here it was, the famous pouty-voice.

"Send me an address." He growled, despising the smile he felt on his face now.

No squeal of excitement or laughter at getting her way was heard as could be expected from any other woman. She didn't gloat. "You don't know how much this means to me, thank you, _thank you, _THANK YOU. Write down my email…"

"Yea, yea." David nodded in time, reaching for a pencil. "Where's this madhouse, anyways?"

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He needed a strong drink, 3p.m. be damned, it was five o'clock somewhere. Anxiety was upon him something fierce when he landed in New Jersey three days later, a perfect spring weather day mocking his over-dressed status in an imported Italian suit.

The truth was…. Well he wasn't about to think about the truth. It was too embarrassing. So much so in fact, he hadn't even called his best friend, Aaron Hotchner, to talk to him of what he was leaving town to do. He had picked up the phone several times and then slammed it down. This just wasn't something he knew how to talk about. How could he talk about the last time he saw Vivienne? Her father's funeral, for Chrissake. He closed his eyes against the memory, but it flooded through his mind's eye defiantly while he waited at the luggage carousel for his bag at the airport.

"_Vivvy…" David looked in horror at the vibrant young woman in front of him, now diminished from pain and puffy, red eyes from a night of crying. "Vivvy, we have to go, we can't stay here." He put his arms around her shoulders and lifted her from the table where Tom lay lifeless, in the morgue. June had called him in tears, desperate for help with the hysterically distraught Vivienne. "I can't get her to leave the hospital, Dave, please talk to her, she's always listened to you." _

"_Come on, baby girl. We're going home." He sighed heavily when she weakly succumbed to her exhaustion and buried her face in his chest, allowing him to lead her out to the parking lot. Her silence and leaning on him were the only outward indications of her grief, he hadn't seen her cry, thank god, he didn't think he could handle it. Her sadness alone was almost too much for him to bear, how could he give her the one thing she wanted right now? He would do anything for her and yet he couldn't bring Tom back._

_Picking her up and placing her in his SUV, his heart had nearly stopped when she finally looked at him, those hazel eyes piercing him like a thousand daggers. Sadness of the deepest kind looked out from behind them, and something else… fear, perhaps. Maybe he'd never know. _

"_Let's get a burger. I know you haven't left in a day, you need to eat, sweetheart." He pushed her wild brown hair behind an ear, caressed her cheek. _

"_I'm not hungry. I don't need food. I need…. I need you." Her voice was a whisper, as she leaned out of her seatbelt and fell forward into his embrace again. He stood for long minutes in the cold, holding her, expecting the crying at any moment, but it never came. After a while, wondering is his feet were frozen he pulled back and gently pushed her back into her seat, realizing she had fallen asleep. It must've been 24 hours since she had slept. Adjusting the seat to a reclining position he had a terrifying moment of blindness, leaning over her, while the Apple-scented shampoo she used washed over him. And it seemed to happen all at once, he had always loved her, but never more and never like this… The Jersey winter cold answered his devastation with a nasty gust of wind, shoving the open car door into him as he realized he could never, ever, in a million years let on that he had just fallen in love with her. _

"Fuckin' Christ," He muttered a little too loudly, internally kicking himself, roughly grabbing at his bag as it came around. _Can't be remembering that shit, you're about to walk her down the fucking isle, remember? 'Cause that's what she sees you as, HER FUCKING FATHER. _

"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" David spun around to face the owner of that voice, sure it was still in his head.

"Vivvy.." He breathed, a look mixed of guilt and awe on his face. Had any one of his profiler team members been there to see it they'd have called his bluff in an instant. Dropping his bag and opening his arms to receive the familiar run-and-jump into his arms he spun her around off her feet once, determined to keep things as they always had been. He resisted the desire to kiss her cheek, but as he lowered her back down to earth she put one on his, so near his mouth his heart surely skipped a beat.

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	2. Chapter 2

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"I'm starving, let's get something to eat before we go back." Vivienne was wide eyed and flushed, expertly maneuvering her sporty 5-speed Mercedes through traffic, at a speed Rossi did not approve of.

He glanced at her small frame, "You look it. Don't you eat anymore? Hey… sweetheart… slow down… please…"

Vivienne took her eyes off of the road while she switched speeds to flash him a brilliant smile. "Wedding dress diet. Don't you trust your own EVOC training?"

David grinned despite himself, keeping her eye contact as she changed lanes on the freeway without looking. "I trust my training, trusting you is entirely different. Quit showing off, you're about to give me a heart attack." His words were calm and slow, no hint of apprehension at her driving in a single word. He had made her an expert Emergency Vehicle Operator Course driver, after the Academy. She held the Course record, still, last time he looked, for backing up for over four kilometers at seventy miles per hour.

"I should have joined the FBI. I'm starting to truly detest being a lawyer." She shook her head, watching the road ahead.

"You're great at everything you do." He assured, wondering what she meant about hating her long-aspired for career. Ever since she could speak, all she'd been doing was arguing. She had known on career day in elementary school that she would be an attorney, and while other girls collected dolls and dresses, Vivienne had collected case-law journals at yard sales and fundraisers, reading them happily while laid out on her belly in front of her father's Television.

"Yea I am. But I'm starting to hate being a lawyer. It's not about rights or justice anymore, it's just politics and shit. I'm…" She hesitated, busied herself with checking her mirror.

"What?" He pushed, realizing the glint in her eyes meant she wasn't going to share. "Come on, Viv, I know when you're about to be stubborn, don't make me go suspect interview on you."

At this, she dipped her head and laughed, both hands on the top of her wheel, mostly to keep them busied. "Yes I guess you do. I'm not very happy at the firm right now. In fact I'm pretty goddamned miserable. I'm going to quit after the wedding."

David cringed at the word _wedding, _he didn't want to think about it. "Tell me about it." He chose his words carefully, resisting the urge to prattle off about background investigations and who was this prick she was marrying anyways and didn't she know anything about divorce rates these days? It wasn't his place though, he had all but abandoned her after Tom's funeral. He knew he had no place in her life to say anything, but damn if he didn't love her enough to want to try.

"Same bullshit that happens at every firm I guess. People shoving their way into power, forgetting about the client's needs, worrying about the bottom line. Profit margins, CEO dividends… you name it. I work with some of the greatest scrote-bags you could ever meet. Oh, and you will. Charlie has invited half of them to the dinner rehearsal." She shook her head disgustedly.

"My my, would you kiss your mother with that mouth?" David grinned wickedly at her. "I support your decision to quit, then. You have to do what you believe in, not what some institution tells you to believe in." Again, he resisted the fatal words of wedding, or "Charlie" who he knew was the groom according to the wedding invitation. Charles William Van Order.

"Hey, where do you I think I learned it? The Cub's dug-outs ring any bells for you?" She was smiling that insanely brilliant smile again..

"Vivvy, those were excellent seats. I told your dad to put ear muffs on you." David rubbed his chin with a hand, feeling internally conflicted about that memory, considering how he felt about her now. Was he just some terribly dirty old man?

Looking at her while she laughed loudly, he knew again he couldn't do this. He couldn't give her away to be married to another man… not when he so desperately wanted to be that man. He constrained the long sigh that was near it's threshold of being obnoxious and instead scrubbed a hand down his face.

"What's bothering you, Davey?" Vivienne asked, as if fine tuned to his body language. It wasn't lost on him, he gave her a meaningful look.

"I taught you how to drive, not how to profile." David mock-glared until she won the staring contest and he couldn't hold her vibrant gaze. Looking out the window he shook his head. "I'm not going to do this." He said more gruffly than he anticipated. Softening his tone he turned his head to her, "Vivvy I can't. Please don't ask me to do this." He looked down at his hands, he hadn't meant to beg like that. God, where was his sense of manhood around her? Was he just a whupped puppy dog or was he a man, goddamnit?

"You told Papa.."

"I _know _what I told him, damnit…." He cut her off, glad she had finally parked the car at a burger joint.

Vivienne studied her ringed hand on the wheel, and lowered her voice. "I'm only letting you off the hook if you tell me why. And I'll badger you until I get the right answer, I know when you're lying, Dave."

"Christ, Vivvy. Sucker punches since you were a kid." David let himself out of the car, angry with himself for upsetting her, angry at this situation, angry that he was 17 years older than her, angry that she was his old friends daughter, angry that he'd watched her grow up because now that meant there was no way in hell she'd ever see him as anything else but an uncle or father figure. But looking over the car at her emerging, maple brown hair blowing all about her face while she studied him, he knew he couldn't be angry at that… not watching her grow up. She'd been in his heart her whole life, he couldn't change that. She was in his blood.

"I've missed you, you know." Vivienne said softly, putting her arm in his as they walked into the restaurant.

"I've missed you too, Vivvy." He answered without looking at her, and opened the door for her to walk in. Placing a hand on the small of her back to usher her inside, he felt a chill run through him that had nothing to do with the perfect weather. It was pain, and he cursed his life. Why was he destined to watch the women he loved walk out of his life? Aaron's voice answered him sternly. _It's you who does the walking, Dave. _Mentally, he punched Aaron in the throat.

A hostess seated them and handed them their menu's.

"Waters to start please." Vivienne assumed a supreme tone, and watched as the waitress nodded away.

"What, no Strawberry Milkshake?" Dave folded his hands on the table, unconsciously leaning closer towards her.

"I told you, Wedding Dress diet." Vivienne stretched out her arms on the table too, and unclasped his hands so she could hold them. "Why did you stop keeping in touch after dad died? I've gotten one Christmas card in four years, and by the handwriting I'm guessing it was an accident sent by your editor?" She scowled at him, and tightened her grip. She had him cornered all right. Dave envisioned an interrogation room tactic where one might grip the hands of a killer until he confessed.

"Maybe you _should _have joined the FBI. You seem to have an innate talent for interrogation." He sidestepped her question, and grinned at her. Two could play at this game, and unluckily for her, he had many years of practice at it. He hadn't anticipated that her cross-examination skills had markedly improved…

"Don't evade the question, Davey. I'm serious. I want to know. I've really missed you." She pulled out the big guns with the soft voice, and guilt. He felt his tongue in his throat as she looked down at their hands, and rubbed his fingers.

"I don't know what to say… I'm sorry Viv." He choked. He was unraveling at the seams, the pleading in her voice ringing through his head like a gong.

"Just tell me the truth." She implored, matching his intense gaze second per second. Again, behind the sadness he saw that fear he'd seen the night he'd put in the car, when she'd said she'd needed him.

David cleared his throat and pulled his hands out of hers, a sudden onslaught of tears welling in his eyes.

"It was just too hard, after your dad died." He lied, and looked towards the waitress walking up with their drinks.

"You're lying." She answered simply, sitting back against the red leather booth and acknowledging the waitress with a nod. "Which means you're not off the hook."

David gave a small grin, sadly, while she thanked the waitress, and quickly cleared it from his face when she looked at him again.

"Ready to order, folks?" The dull waitress looked to both of them with a bored tone, having no idea the internal fires raging in both of her customers.

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	3. Chapter 3

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"This is aforementioned madhouse." Vivienne parked her sports car in the wide and elegant wrap-around driveway, in front of a typical seven-figure mansion in the Jersey suburbs. "This is his parent's house, headquarters for operation wedding." She sighed, then unbuckled her seat belt. Something about her tone led him to believe she resented the madhouse.

"What are his parents like?" David succumbed to his morbid curiosity about Van Doucher, as he was mentally starting to call him.

"You'll find out soon enough." She answered with a head nod. Again she slipped her arm in his as they walked up the front steps. Before she could knock, the door opened with a whoosh and Mrs. Van Order stood smiling madly in all her glory.

"VIVIENNE! DARLING! WELCOME!" She thrust her free arm around the girl and kissed each cheek. David swerved his head to miss the other arm, balancing a very full martini glass. "And WHO is this _handsome devil?! _My my my!" Clair put out a hand in the way a woman would expect it to be kissed, and he had to stop himself from openly snorting. Gentleman that he was, and never knowing who might be needed as an ally, he bowed gracefully and kissed her hand gently.

"Mrs. Van Order, you look good enough to eat." He breathed charmingly, almost losing his grip when Vivienne blew air out of her mouth at the theatrics.

Though blushing profusely, Clair managed to laugh and pretend to play it off as though she wouldn't like to take him upstairs and fuck his brains out this very moment. Vivienne felt as though she could see the thoughts swirling in Clair's mind, so transparent was her body language as she bristled. "Alright then," Vivienne interrupted Clair's disturbing fantasies. "Where is Doug? And Charlie?"

"Oh DO come in, I'm sorry, where are my manners?! See what happens, Vivienne, when a handsome young man walks into the room…" She laughed as she led them through the long foyer. "You just lose your wits completely…" She drolled on in a crystalline voice and Dave whispered in Vivienne's ear. "She wants me." Vivienne giggled and poked his side.

"Don't all women?" She shook her head and motioned for him to hush as they followed their hostess, but Vivienne didn't let go of his arm once. He used the opportunity to nudge closer to her. He couldn't help but wonder hopelessly if there was any double meaning behind her words. If she thought that all women wanted him then it would seem logical she herself wanted him too? _Stop this, your thoughts are starting to sound like a recording of Reid… _

"Vivienne, doll, I was beginning to worry, what took you so long?" A forced, brilliant smile was seemingly plastered on Charles' face as he stood from his comfortable spot on the expensive sofa to greet them. Entering into the large, roomy and decorated all in white living room, David immediately hated him. Tall, perfectly dressed in khaki slacks, sockless loafers and a club jacket, he looked quickly to David and didn't even attempt to hide his eyes roaming down to where Vivienne's arm was still locked in David's. She leaned away from David to place a kiss on Charles' cheek and he did the same, taking her shoulders in her arms and pulling her closer to him. David smirked, he couldn't help it. This kid, well – maybe he wasn't a kid, he looked at least in his thirties – was already uncomfortable with his presence. _That's right, buddy boy, I've been in her life longer than you ever will. _He thought triumphantly, the smirk spreading into a wide grin as he held out his hand to shake Charles'.

"David Rossi." He said coolly, with an air of gracing everyone's presence with his own. Doug Van Order had stood as well, set his lemonade on the coffee table and took David's hand before Charles could.

"What a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Rossi, I've heard nothing but wonderful things from Vivienne. Of course, I'm a fan, too." Doug laughed genuinely.

_Well, he doesn't seem so bad. _Dave smiled happily and took the man's hand. "Always happy to meet a fan. Just don't ask me to sign your books."

At this, everyone in the room laughed except Charles, who gave an awkward chuckle and then stopped abruptly.

"Charles Van Order, nice to finally put a face to the name. Vivienne's told us so much." Charles looked down at his bride-to-be with an affectionate look, one she returned from the small place at his side. In Charles' arms, she looked as small as a mouse, because he was so tall. _And gangly, _David thought. Shaking hands briefly, Charles pulled his hand away almost instantly and motioned for everyone to sit, "Please, sit, there is much to discuss."

"Oh no, no more… I'm done planning for the day, I want to just enjoy the evening, let's have a round of drinks before we leave to meet everyone at the – " She was cut off, however.

"I only want to discuss the seating arrangements." Charlie said authoritatively.

"Sounds fine to me." David wanted to hit the man for interrupting her, but he rolled with it. Taking a step around the two he sat smack dab in the middle of the large sofa, and smiled cordially.

"That sounds fine to me as well, dear. I'll go get the planning board." Clair left the room, stopping only once to catch her balance as she tripped on some inanimate object.

"Planning board?" Dave aimed his question at Doug, who had already resumed his seat in a comfortable lone chair. Vivienne, now smiling again, sat next to David, and Charles had no choice but to sit on her other side, with something less of pleasant on his face.

Dave wanted to laugh out loud, but he had to remember not to do anything that might upset Vivienne. It was her day, after all. "Ah yes, I'm afraid Clair is all too prepared for this event, she and Charlie spend hours every day making vision boards." Doug interrupted David's now steaming thoughts as Vivienne again grabbed his arm and linked it with hers, sitting so close her knee's were rubbing the outside of his thigh. _Oh for Chrissake you're not in high school, get a grip… _"I guess there's no such thing as too prepared." He answered distractedly.

"Now, Dave, since you'll be an addition to the guest list we'll have to find a place for you to sit during the ceremony," Charles began, taking the enormous foam board from his mother as she walked in.

"He's sitting up front, in Daddy's spot. And he'll be at the table with my aunt Cara, up front close to our table." Vivienne answered, before he could finish. There was an edge to her tone that dared him to question that, and her satiated smile from a moment ago was gone, replaced with a steely stare.

"Viv, I…" Charles stammered, chuckling awkwardly.

"You are so thoughtful, you know that?" Dave smiled, again trying not to laugh, and put his arm around her, and kissed her forehead. Instead of pulling away, Vivienne leaned into his arms deeper.

"If that's what you want, sweetheart. It is _your _day." Charles put the board aside, smiling sweetly at Vivienne. David could tell it was forced, he was all but squirming where he stood he was so uncomfortable with the sight before him. _Signs of agitated control and possession. _David's mind registered the behavior automatically. Had Vivienne really fallen for this guy? What was so wrong about this whole scenario? He'd find out, he'd stake his career on it.

"Clair, darling, make our guest a drink, Vivienne wants cocktails before the big dinner!" Doug called jovially, watching his son return to her side. "What a sight, her two most important men, on her sides. Truly, Vivienne, you're going to be a beautiful bride." Doug raised his glass to his future daughter in law, whom he had come to truly love, and in truth didn't think his son deserved her.

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"Vivienne…" David sighed heavily, adjusting the seat in her sporty two-seater. Barely suppressing a now slightly buzzed laugh as she watched him scrunch into her driver's seat, Vivienne put on her seat belt.

"Your legs are probably too long."

"Vivienne, seriously, what the hell?" David scowled at her, pinning her slightly foggy mind with a glare. "_This _guy?" He pointed at the BMW driving away in front of him, the car he was supposed to follow to the restaurant, since she had insisted Dave drive her, explaining herself only with a simple "We don't have much time to catch up, silly." When Charles had objected.

"He's possessive, controlling ... I'd wager manipulative and domineering on top of that… When did douche bag trust fund brats become your type?"

Vivienne stared at him with a look of shock. "Really? REALLY?" She threw her hands up then slammed them down in her lap, turning her face away from him and staring at the sunset.

As he began to drive and she sat in silence, the obviously strong martini Clair had given her rendering her mind a little befuddled he wondered if he'd gone too far. Well, he always did, but after so many years of profiling and perfecting the art of getting information he wanted when he wanted it, David thought he'd be past pissing women off. _Some things never change. _Aaron's voice was warping into his conscience.

"Are you giving me the silent treatment?" He faced her at a stop light, uneasiness in his whole body.

She faced him as well with a sarcastic look, "I'm not in middle school. I do not give _silent treatments. _I form coherent arguments to be eloquently executed at exactly what time I am ready." And with that, she crossed her arms and resumed staring out her window.

Her slight frame, tousled hair, and crossed arms indeed gave her the appearance of a pouting child. _God you're insufferably adorable. _He smiled happily when the light turned green and kept the smile on his face the rest of the ride to the restaurant. Let her be mad, she was too goddamn cute to be assuaged.

"And another thing." He started off calmly, still smiling, wondering how far he could goad her. "This wedding dress diet nonsense is ridiculous. You're too thin, Vivvy. I bet you haven't got enough muscle left in your arms to throw a decent pitch." David coolly put the car in neutral and pulled the E-break.

"Oh! Oh! RIGHT! I can out-throw you any day, and you know – wait, where are we?" She was half kneeling in her seat now, trying to see over him at the park he'd parked near.

"We lost the Stepfords, what say you put your money where your sassy little mouth is?" Dave reached behind the bucket seats and pulled out a glove and ball, hidden under black leather.

Vivienne knew she shouldn't be surprised, but she was. Of course David had guessed where she'd keep the mitt and ball her father had given her on her seventh birthday.

"Where's my bat?" He asked, leaning close enough to smell her perfume.

"You mean _my _bat. It's under your seat." Vivienne felt her heart pounding with his nearness, and she felt stupid for it. This childhood love thing was seriously twisted. Or was it totally normal? He therapist thought it was a natural development in her, growing up under the full love and undivided attention of two men, one her father, one not her father.

"It's only on loan, babe. A man does not _give _an autographed Chicago Cubs bat, played with in the championship series…. he _loans _it." Dave reached under the seat and pulled it awkwardly from its hiding spot.

Vivienne watched him exit the car and slam the door, released a huge breath she'd been holding and closed her eyes briefly. God, but this was out of control. _It's what you wanted, don't chicken out now. It's why you invited him._

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	4. Chapter 4

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"You're really about to make me embarrass you?" Vivienne waltzed onto the baseball diamond, her martini buzz giving her just the slightest divine confidence. Maybe this _wasn't _a bad idea. Oh yes, that was certainly the alcohol speaking. She swayed her hips just a little more when she walked onto the pitcher's mound, ball and glove in hand.

"You're all mouth, woman. Throw the ball." Dave flexed his arms and lifted the bat above his head. He was soaring somewhere over Brooklyn, by now, the high of having just eluded the soon-to-be in-laws and having Vivienne by himself on the field, and she didn't even seem to mind. He knew he was misbehaving but grinning ear to ear as he watched her wind up her pitch, he felt pure bliss.

_Oh god, wouldn't I like to show you… _She grinned at her dirty thoughts, envisioning using her mouth on his on the dug out benches. The serious bout of concentration she was attempting to show was very much being thwarted by images of Rossi kissing her. Deciding to throw the ball before she burst into giggles, her eyes widened a little as she pitched it as hard as she could, and a split second later he matched her pitch in perfect time and hit the thing out of the park. She turned quickly and watched the baseball disappear into the now gray dusk.

"And now you owe me a baseball." Vivienne turned back around only to come face to face with Rossi, holding the bat over his shoulder, resembling some morbid mobster and grinning like a cat that swallowed the canary.

She couldn't help but chuckle at him, _this _was the David Rossi she'd grown up admiring, watching, hanging on his every word, scribbling up the pages of his books with her own notes. God, but he looked like the lead role heart-throb out of a romance movie. Vivienne's mind went into a tizzy of thoughts, rushing through multiple scenarios of her fantasies.

"Small price to pay. Let's go catch up to dinner." David swatted her ass with the bat to get her moving. Small price to pay, indeed… he watched her walk away from the pitchers mound, flushed and beautiful from the effort and from the cold settling down. The wind had picked up and was playing with the ends of her hair.

"Small price to pay for what, by the way? We haven't begun paying for this. I'm in deep shit. And you're in it with me." Vivienne smiled happily, as if the prospect of being in deep shit was something she enjoyed very much. David walked around to the passenger side of her car and opened the door for her, noticing she looked briefly at his hand on the car door handle as if surprised to see it there.

"I don't mind being in the shit with you. I am very curious, however, of why you seem to be so happy being in the shit to begin with." He shut the door after she had seated and walked around to get in the sporty vehicle.

"Well then, I will answer your question if you answer mine." Flipping her maple hair coyly, she glinted at David while he began navigating the streets, determined not to grin at the exasperated look on his face.

"Small price to pay for seeing you smile. It's good to see you happy. It's good to be the reason for that smile." He laid it out, in a rush, keeping all of the affection he felt out of his voice, and with his eyes glued to the road ahead of him. He told himself that night eight years ago that he would never damage their relationship by letting on how he felt, and he was exercising great self-discipline to hold himself to it.

"I guess I enjoy watching Clair squirm. She hasn't given me a chance from the beginning. Now I just don't try." Vivienne forced a smile for David, but she could feel the good martini feelings fading away quickly.

"Now whose lying?" Dave smirked. He reached a hand over to gently pull her chin up to look at him. "What's wrong, bella?"

_Bella. _He hadn't called her that since she was a child. It made her think of the days she spent sitting in the window seat, waiting for him to arrive for dinner if her father had mentioned it. Her father… and as if spiraling downward, the tears flooded her eyes and she hated herself for not being able to control the flood of emotions.

"All right." David said presumptuously, anger rising like bile in his throat. He'd had enough, fuck this dinner and fuck the Van Dick family, seeing her cry was where he drew the line. "Here, sweetheart." He took his handkerchief from his pocket and gave it to her. "Give me your phone, honey." She handed it over without asking why, she knew she couldn't speak if she was going to try to stopper the leaking in her eyes.

Scrolling through the phone list, and finding what he was looking for, he punched a button and put the thing to his ear. "Doug. David here. Yea, we made a detour. Listen, we're not going to make it. Vivienne… she's not feeling well. Yes, it _is _serious. I'm sure you'll figure it out, look, I gotta go. I'll have her call you in the morning. Don't worry everyone else about it. Thanks, Doug."

"That was brave." Vivienne whispered from the next seat.

"You might hate me for it, but I'm making an executive decision here, you're in no shape to be faking bridal bliss right now." David punched a few buttons into the GPS coordinator so as to find his hotel, realizing immediately she hadn't objected to missing her own rehearsal dinner. It slowly occurred to him that she wasn't telling him everything going on here, and that she wasn't quite as ready for "I Do's" as he was initially led to believe. _Then why call me here? Why make such a big deal about me giving her away? _He couldn't make heads or tails of it, and he drove the west of the way to the hotel in silence.

"You have that look in your eyes." She mumbled, from her sideways position facing him in the car.

"What look?"

"The look you get, when you're thinking in circles." She sniffed. Her eyes were red now, and tired, and she felt emotionally drained.

He didn't respond. Of course she knew him well enough to understand his facial expressions, try as he might to mask them. Anger was building to a slow boil in him by the time he pulled her vehicle into the valet parking at the Sheraton. Wordlessly he exited the car and efficiently gave the valet instructions for bags and parking. "Come on, Viv." He said gently, pulling her out of the passenger seat. She held his hand, and leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked.

After checking in, they began moving towards the elevators and it wasn't until this moment that David caught a glimpse of her in the large mirrors. She was small, she was terribly thin, tired, and staring off into space. David felt his chest squeeze at the diminished woman he saw before him. He ran his eyes slowly, almost imperceptibly over her, head to toe, taking in every detail he possibly could. Not entirely because he thought she was the most attractive woman in the world, but because his spidey-senses, as Garcia called them, were tingling something fierce and a piece of the puzzle was definitely missing – profiling the details was the only way he knew to get the answers he needed. Once the elevator doors dinged, they stepped out onto the tenth floor and were greeted by the bell boy. "Right this way, Mr. and Mrs. Rossi." He said kindly, smiling. David furrowed his brow at this, but felt rather than heard Vivienne laugh under her breath beside him. Surely it was obvious he was old enough to be her father, he thought.

"Here you are, Sir, Ma'am, it is _much _roomier than your original suite. Have a good stay." David tipped him, and he left. Vivienne walked to the bed and sat down heavily, looked at the walls once, then laid back.

"What did he mean, original suite?"

"You've been zoned out for about 20 minutes, sweetheart. When I checked in I switched floors."

"Why?" She asked with the tone of curiosity a child would.

"Because when Charlie comes here in the morning acting like an ogre and looking for you, I want to have the advantage of surprise."

"Always so tactical." She turned her head on the mattress and watched him take his jacket off and hang it in the closet, then his suit jacket. God but he looked incredible, and all the while assuming a position as if he was gracing earth with his very being alive.

David evaluated her from his position in front of the mirror, removing his cufflinks, internally destroyed with conflict over wanting to smirk at her observations and shake the truth out of her about Charlie. He settled on lifting his chin and staring seriously, an intimidation tactic he'd learned a long time ago, and was sorry to have to use now, but he _would _have his answers.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Vivienne pushed herself upright, a jolt of apprehension and excitement eating up her exhaustion in one fell swoop.

"I'm going to ask you some serious questions, Vivienne Rose, and you have _one _opportunity to tell me the truth. And, remember…" David pulled a chair up to the end of the bed and turned it around so the back faced her, and straddled the chair opposite. Placing his arms on the back of the chair, he leveled all of his frustration into the famous Rossi death-beam, piercing into her soul with the intense eye contact. "As in Cross Examination, assume I already know the answer."

Vivienne gulped. She was wholly entranced, she couldn't break his gaze if she tried. Again, excitement ran through her like electricity because of his intensity. She wouldn't lie to him, but she might not get a chance to answer all of his questions – the only thing she wanted to do was grab his face and kiss him.

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	5. Chapter 5

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"You mentioned Clair hasn't ever given you a chance. I'm guessing there is a demographic class divide there, but with having made partner three years ago that has never been a problem, for you, so I'm not buying it. The way Charlie is still attached at the tit with that lush leads me to believe in fact it's Charlie you enjoy watching squirm, not the other way around. This isn't behavior indicative of love, babe." David paused for a millisecond and continued.

"Why are you marrying Charlie?" David raised an eyebrow at Vivienne, who was immediately caught off guard by the question. David struggled not to chuckle at her, this was too easy. Already her eyes were darting around the room, the creative side of her brain rummaging desperately for a story she could give as an answer.

"You shouldn't have to think about that, Viv. Clearly you're not waxing poetic romance here, so how about this one. Why are you going through with a wedding to a man you don't really love?"

Vivienne's discomfort turned to annoyance at his probing, having a feeling of where this might be leading, if he really did have all the answers to his questions. She squirmed where she sat, placing her hands under her legs. _Goddamnit, Vivienne. You are a cross-ex pro. Don't take this shit. _She thought angrily, feeling irrational. Her inner voice wagged a finger at her. _I thought this is what you wanted? _

"Does your interrogation period allow for potty breaks?" She leaned forward on her heels, and wiggled her eyebrows.

David let out a pent up breath through his nostrils. Was she purposefully testing his patience?

"Not usually." He extended his arm with an open palm towards the master suite bathroom as if to excuse her.

Hopping up and straightening her blouse so that the neck came down a little, she flipped her hair and flounced off in implied direction, reminding him so very much of the witty little sass she was as a child.

Once the door was closed, David scrubbed a hand down a weary face, muttering to himself about the unfairness of the Gods, giving women such power over men. What had he done, to deserve this? He glanced heavenward, a glare on his face, ready to make a deal with the devil if it meant this torture would be over. The low-cut, lace, purple shirt, the ensnaring perfume, the haughty attitude, the way her lower lip pushed out when she was unhappy, the tears… _God, the tears. _And he remembered his resolve, to make sure his girl didn't get burned in this whole ordeal. Resuming his no-nonsense glare as she emerged, it took all of his resolve to straighten his back as if to mean business, instead of staring at the way her hips swayed towards him. As it happened, he couldn't help but look once.

Vivienne's heart nearly stopped in the few moments it took her to close the space between the bathroom and the bed, she'd seen it. She'd seen him look, it had been less than a fraction of a second, but it had happened, she knew it did. And no one trusted their instincts better than Vivienne.

"Maybe I haven't been totally honest." She folded her hands in her lap, feeling completely sober and in control now. The new body language wasn't lost on Rossi.

"Mmmhm. So come clean." He hummed, the baritone of his voice sending chills down her spine. It would be a miracle if she didn't jump off the bed and tackle him before long.

"I can't." She raised her chin defiantly as she answered, but her voice wavered.

"Why not?"

"Because I can't."

Exasperated, he stood and knocked the chair down. "Vivienne, the last time you pulled that ineloquent of an argument with me, you had just jumped on an eleven year olds back and knocked him to the ground, because he pulled your cousins ringlets!" He paced, raising his voice.

"I was protecting her involvement." She answered, in perfect attorney form.

"DAMMIT, Vivvy! This isn't a courtroom!"

"NO! IT'S AN INTERROGATION ROOM! AND I'M SUSPECT NUMBER ONE!" She yelled back, now also standing, fists balled at her side, breathing hard, mirroring his ire.

_Christ. _David knew she'd whupped him the day he met her, but now he just felt matched, glare for glare, anger for anger. They stood for several seconds this way, staring each other down.

David seceded, turning around and walking out towards the balcony. Once outside he cursed under his breath every obscenity he could think of in a row, until he was out of breath.

Vivienne remained in the room, pacing a few steps back and forth, hugging herself. He had a point? He was just looking out for her, right? She couldn't take him being angry with her, she couldn't take disappointing him… Vivienne walked towards the balcony quietly and observed him for a moment from the sliding door. He had both hands on the railing, knuckles white from gripping it so hard. Her heart breaking, She could feel the tears flowing again. Why was this so fucking complicated? If she loved him she should be able to tell him? Of course she'd always been able to tell him that… but not… like _this. _Without realizing it until her hand was on his back, she'd walked out to him.

"I'm..sorry. Please don't be angry with me.." She heard herself plead. It didn't sound like her, it sounded like a woman crying silently and begging desperately.

"Sweetheart…" David turned around to face her the instant he'd heard the pain in her voice again. Without hesitation he wrapped her in his arms, one hand protectively in her hair, huddling her in his taller body. "I could never be angry with you." David closed his eyes tight and dropped his head to her height, touching their faces together. "Not for very long, anyways." He sighed heavily as she wrapped both of her thin arms around his torso and lifted her face to meet his, their cheeks rubbing. David's thoughts were whirling so fast he was surprised he wasn't feeling dizzy, wasn't this wrong? Even this close, holding her this way, suppressing groans while she moved against him, this was wrong, wasn't it? Wasn't she his…. What? She wasn't his daughter, she was Tom's daughter…

Vivienne felt blissfully out of control. Heat rushed to her cheeks when she rubbed her nose in his goatee, her legs felt as though the bones had shriveled up when she leaned into him, and he responded by falling into a heavy lean on the railing. Nothing else mattered, nothing else existed, but his arm low around her waist, the other cradled her shoulder with its hand in her hair, massaging her scalp.

There was no lack of fear, there was no lack of doubt, but the moment he felt her body stiffen, and arch when he gently grabbed a fistful of her hair, her breasts rub his chest when she inhaled sharply, David kissed the side of her mouth, tentatively and experimentally. A totally bodily reaction to the mounting desire tangibly building between them, and he didn't have time to regret it, or to over-think it, to question himself… She lifted her face just enough to kiss him back, before he could lift his face up, away from hers.

When her mouth covered his, she assumed what little control he'd been grasping at, and David felt his body slacken deeper into her, while the spark between them seemed to ignite into a full explosion.

For the first time in her life, Vivienne felt mad, wild and raging with need, like a starving person. She reached her hands up into his hair and yanked, capturing his growl with her mouth, sucking greedily as she pulled his face down to hers. She needed to breath, but she dared not release his lips, she was happily making a feast of them, while his slack body suddenly came to life and he moved the hand from her hair to her ass and picked her up, effortlessly lifting her frame into his arms and walking forward, he slammed her back into the sliding glass door that separated them from the room. The thing shook precariously, but neither released their lips, locked, both in want, and both in fear of what stopping could mean.

After what felt like a wonderful small lifetime, David pulled his lips away from her mouth, whispered her name, and carried her back into the room, kissing all manner of her skin within reach, his heart bursting at the seams, both from the love he felt for her, and the shock that she'd kissed him back… she'd done it… for several minutes… The look she wore on her face now, ravenous and serene, looking only at his mouth because she was terrified she might see doubt in his eyes, he knew, because he was just as scared. Laying her gently on the bed, David didn't have time to rethink the implications this gesture, as she pulled him down after her. He was vaguely aware in the back of his brain that he was in bed with her, and they should stop now, before this went further… there was a multitude of reasons why, not least of which she was his late friends daughter, and she was engaged. But more than that, most importantly to David, he didn't want her to have regrets, and he didn't want to take advantage of her emotional state, whatever that was… He remembered his original objective, to question her about Charlie. Reluctantly, Rossi pushed himself off her with one arm, breathing far heavier than he realized. "Viv…" He gently pushed her back down to the mattress when she had followed his movement, quite ready to pounce on top of him.

And there it was, the tone of voice she dreaded, that meant he was stopping her. She closed her eyes against the pain ripping through her chest, it was just as she feared, he didn't feel the same way. This lovely make out session was a fleshly mistake, a lapse in judgment, he would say.

David cupped her cheek, he could hear her thoughts as if she were screaming them. "I love you, Vivienne. I don't want you to do anything you'll regret." He lowered his face to her ear, fighting not to choke up as she covered his hand with her own against her cheek. "You're going to be married next weekend…" He had to remind her, he had to, if she really loved him then where this night was headed would hang over her entire marriage for the rest of her life, and he couldn't be the cause of that.

"I don't want to marry him.." Vivienne's voice sounded as small as a child's, so full of fear it made him want to wrap her up in a protective way, to shelter her from all the evil in the world. "I told you…. Dave…. I told you that night that I needed you…" Again that night, tears streaked her face, and it was like a kick in the gut to David, knowing he was the cause this time.

Rossi forced himself to look into her eyes, and heard her words as if through a tunnel, "I needed you.." why were his eyes suddenly so blurry? He couldn't focus on her face, as his own tears and guilt overcame him.

"You left me."

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	6. Chapter 6

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Vivienne felt awful, she'd never seen David cry. She should've kept her mouth shut. Guilt ripped through her, as she tried desperately to back track. "I mean, you just didn't keep in contact after dad died… I didn't know what to think, I thought.."

"I did leave, Viv. And I'll hate myself for that as long as I live." David shook his head. "Eight years, Viv… Not a day has gone by when I don't think about you." He laced his fingers through her thin ones, and rubbed them gently. "I didn't know what else to do, Vivvy. I didn't know what else to do."

"About _what? _ Every one grieves, Dave…" She said desperately, sitting back on her elbow and trying to make him look at her.

"I wasn't just grieving your dad…"

"Then _what?!" _She had a difficult time keeping the annoyance out of her voice, why was it so goddamned difficult for men to just SAY what they needed to say?!

"I was in love with my best friend's daughter, it was wrong. So I left." Still, he couldn't look at her, and his voice was just above a whisper. If this wasn't his least manly moment in his life, he didn't know what was.

"Well… shit. You're not a very good profiler after all." She had answered without more than a moments hesitation. David hadn't known what to expect, but this wasn't it. Finally he lifted his face to look at her, as she laid her head back down on the mattress. "But I guess I haven't been entirely forthcoming on the fact that I've had a crush on you since I was six." She whispered. "It's all very sordid, don't you agree?" She turned her head to see how her confession was received, grinning sadly in a way that was sorry everything had turned out the way it had.

"_When I grow up, I'll…marry you…. Or my dad." Vivienne answered nonchalantly, flipping through the pages of her latest acquired prize, an antique journal of dust bowl illustrations she'd found at a used book store for a dollar. David chuckled from his seat, wondering at the innocent answers of children when asked what they wanted to be when they grew up._

The memory blindsided him, and forced a grin to his face. "It _is _very sordid. So what are we going to do about it?" _God, Vivienne, don't marry this man. _He thought desperately, hoping against all odds it wasn't too late, as he gently put a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

She responded by kissing his lips again, closing her eyes at the heavenly feel of them, so full and soft and hungry. David deepened the kiss, exploring her mouth with his, pulling her closer to him. He felt 25 again, the way her frenzied movements against him made his libido soar as it hadn't in years. She couldn't be still, the ache between her legs driving her to rub against him like a cat in heat. The moment she felt him harden against her she wanted to scream, she needed him inside of her so badly. The lust from only a few minutes ago seemed like children's play compared to how he wanted her now, all of his focus on her body. David still felt like it was all a strange erotic dream, something he shouldn't share, something dark he was sure he should feel bad about, but he couldn't stop, the self control he'd been exhibiting was all but forgotten as he grabbed her ass and pulled her down on top of his hard-on, squeezing as hard as he dared. Vivienne happily straddled him, and in a flash had yanked off her top, revealing deceivingly ample breasts, spilling out of a rose-pink colored bra. He cursed under his breath, raking her in, her small, tanned waist made the brazier look bright against her skin. He sat up and with a single stroke unclasped it and tossed it aside. Taking his face in her hands, she couldn't help but grin, she had him exactly where she wanted him: lids heavy with desire, breathing erratically and hard as granite. "You little minx, you're enjoying this, aren't you?" he asked, running a hand over her hard nipples. She nodded, having forgotten what she was going to say when he touched her breasts. The stimulation was sweet torture, she knew her panties were soaked when he began kissing down her chest, first her clavicle, then her cleavage, and finally closing his mouth over one perfect mound. She threw her head back and moaned, and it was too much for David. There would be time for love making another night, if he didn't get out of these pants soon they might rip… he couldn't remember ever being this hard.

David stood, holding her against him and put her back against the wall. Within seconds he had removed her pants and underwear. Her smell intoxicated him, as he kissed her, and he loved feeling her wet and completely exposed crotch against his abdomen. With one hand he held her up against the wall and with the other unbuttoned and pulled down his own pants, his cock all but sprung free. From underneath her ass he touched her, groaned when he felt how slick and ready she was. He rubbed her moister on his cock and stroked, barely able to concentrate. "Dave… _please_" she panted, breathless. He went inside of her tenderly, cursing again at how tight she was. "Fuck, Vivvy…" He wanted to devour her mouth when she began kissing him again. "Yes, please do, fuck Vivvy." She smiled wickedly at him, a challenging smile, encouraging him to give her his best shot.

Without needing further encouragement, he set a fast pace, plunging in and out of her as he held her against the wall, deafened by her moaning and screaming, always inches from exploding as the painful need for release built. He wouldn't come, not until she had, and he watched happily as she arched her back against him, looking at the ceiling, shouting his name again and again, asking for it harder, until something changed in her voice, and he knew she was close. The near-sobbing and pleading not to stop, nearly made him come twice, and then she put her forehead on his shoulder, wrapped her arms around his neck and he could feel the muscles around his cock contract, spasming violently while she moaned out his name. It would be the sweetest thing he'd hear tonight, or any night, and he very much intended on hearing it again. He pulled out of her and rested his cock on her belly before spilling himself, coming harder than he thought possible, and watching it twitch even as he was further aroused by the sight of his come on her perfect skin.

After a few minutes of calming their breathing he walked her back to the bed and gently laid her on it for a second time that evening. "Wait right here." He whispered and kissed her ear. When he came back from the bathroom his pants were above his waist again and he used a warm, damp cloth to clean her. She simply hummed a thank you, satisfied exhaustion making her drowsy. "Bed time…" she whispered.

"_All right, Vivienne, say good night to Davey, it's bed time." June came out of the kitchen to see her daughter where she always was when David was near, sitting next to him, holding his hand, leaning on his shoulder and reading a book silently while the men watched T.V. and drank beer. "Can't I just stay up till Davey goes? He doesn't have a bed time!" She protested angrily. "Sure I have a bed time, kiddo. C'mon don't give your mother grief, I'll tuck you in." _

"_When is your bed time?" the little girl asked him wearily, fighting the sleepiness she already felt. "After I read a little and say my prayers. Just like you." David found an abandoned teddy bear in the corner of the room and placed it in the bed with her. _

"_I don't play with teddy bears. I'm very grown up for my age, daddy says so." He chuckled. "Goodnight, Vivvy." He kissed her forehead and left the room. "Good night, Davey. Have a good bed time."_

David shook his head, would these confounded memories never cease haunting him? He couldn't think of the child Vivienne, not now, holding her naked body in his arms while she fell asleep in his hotel room. Sighing , he knew they couldn't be helped. But looking down at her, he knew that no one could question how much, how deeply he loved her. A small voice of guilt panged him, _She's engaged. _He closed his eyes. _She said she doesn't want to marry him. Yea but she still might… _

He had a restless sleep that night, and dreamt that it was his wedding day, and he expected Vivienne to walk down the isle. Instead Charlie was there, and _he _was waiting for Vivienne. As Charlie lifted her veil, the minister asked, "Who gives this woman to be wed?" and looked directly to David. Dumbfounded and protesting, Vivienne turned her face towards him and said "Davey… you're like a father to me…"

He awoke in a sweat, which was not an uncommon occurrence for him, but remembering the events of earlier while he shook the bad feeling off of him from the dream made him feel anxious. When he looked beside him, the bed was empty, and as if an eighteen wheeler had just run smack dab into him, his heart fell into his feet.

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	7. Chapter 7

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Jumping up from his hotel bed, he ran a hand through his hair. David felt dizzy, unfocused, Where had she gone? He looked frantically towards the bathroom, the door was open and there was no light on. He quickly ran into the adjoining room, and checked everywhere, Viviaenne was gone, there was no doubt about it. This hadn't been a dream, they'd made out.. they'd fucked… David closed his eyes and rubbed a hand down his face, groaning to himself. It had went to far… He should have controlled himself.. He scared her away…. _Or shamed her away. _His inner voice interrupted his frenzied thoughts.

"Get it together, Rossi." He muttered to himself, finding his discarded shirt and pulling it on. He looked around the room, more out of habit but nonetheless as an afterthought. He saw her glitzy blazer hanging over one arm chair, which affirmed that indeed this nightmare was real. Glancing around quickly, though, he found none of her other belongings. No purse, no pants, no blouse… he grimaced as he realized, neither the panties nor bra they'd tossed feverishly were left behind earlier.

She was gone. He looked at the clock, shining bright, mocking red numbers in the semi-darkness. 1:39a.m.

It couldn't have been so long ago when she left, then. The last time he had looked at the clock it had been nearly midnight.

Scratching his head, he tried to come up with a quick plan… what was his next move? Should he call her? Should he go down to the lobby and ask if anyone had seen her leaving? He should ask the front desk… what state she'd been in… did she get a cab… _Oh god, did she take her car? _She hadn't drank much, but maybe she shouldn't b e driving…. Surely she'd be sober by now. What if the Martini had been the reason for earlier? He grimaced, exchanging his pajama pants for his slacks while he thought of a conversation where she admitted she'd been drunk, she was sorry, she was in love with Charlie, none of this should have happened…

Pulling on a fresh shirt while hopping into his shoes, he determined the best route would be to trace her exit, see if anyone could shed some light on this. He could call her later.. surely she wouldn't be ready to talk to him on the phone in the next twenty minutes on the phone if she was running scared for the hills…. Or Charlie's bed.

"Fuck…. FUCK!" David hated the thought process in his head right now, as he fumbled for his wallet and made sure the room key was in it. Leaving the room quickly, he ran a hand through his hair when he caught his reflection, trying to tame the mess of black… and grey, he noticed, as thoughts of her fears ran through his mind. Maybe that was it? She realized it was a mistake when she remembered his age… remembered he was old enough to be her father… David pinched the bride of his nose as he violently pushed the elevator button, and waited for it to allow him in. _What a cluster fuck. _He thought. _You shouldn't have fucked her like that, what were you thinking? She deserves better… champagne, a bed littered with rose petals, a diamond ring… _He punched the wall half heartedly as his mind swirled. He'd like to break through the thing, feel the breaking dry wall between his fingers. _Get a hold of yourself, goddamnit. _Aaron's voice in his head again didn't help his mood.

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"Oh, that's it for me, I have to get back to my room. The most wonderful man in the world is in there, waiting for me." Vivienne raised her glass to the hotel bartender, a very young woman, certainly not over the age of 21.

"Oh? Is he hot?" the young woman looked enviously on Vivienne's hand, the diamond ring glittering brilliantly, the girl just assumed Viv was talking about her fiancé.

"Girl, he invented the word." Vivienne smiled into her gin tonic, and shook her head, unaware that she had an audience.

"I hope I can find a man to marry like that, someday." The blonde put her chin in her hands, hanging on Vivienne's every word.

"He's… more than hot. He's perfect. He's sexy, he's genuine, he's loving, he's…. impatient, stubborn…. He's a dime-shot with any gun in his hand and he's got a cock like – " her drunken, dirty confidence, smiling like a girl that had just gotten it _very _good, in her new found bar tender friend, also smiling excitedly was drown out by the irate voice of her fiancé.

"VIVIENNE, where the _hell_ have you been?" Charlie came storming up to her, anger on his face in ever line.

Vivienne spit a little of her drink, in shock. Picking up the napkin and dabbing her lips, she looked to the new girl for some sort of help, but the poor thing looked shocked like a deer in the headlights.

"What do you MEAN, by missing our dinner, and coming here with _him? _I tried for hours to find you, I haven't slept!" Charlie grabbed her arms and turned her around on the swivel bar chair with force. "DID YOU FUCK HIM?! YOU FUCKED YOUR FATHERS FRIEND?!" Charlie shook her, already his grips in her arms bruising her biceps while she squirmed, tears at this embarrassment and brutality already streaming down her face. She was paralyzed with fear, the two double gin tonics she'd sucked down in the last hour as a celebration of finally having been liberated by her secret affection for David being her main cause for post-coital celebration, like a cigarette after mind-blowing sex.

"You're hurting me!" She managed to say, only raising her voice as much as she dared. She feared his anger, she had since the first time she'd ever seen it, when he'd thrown a full wine bottle across the room at a wall and it had shattered brilliantly, and all over an unpleasant business call.

From only a hall away, as if fine-tuned to her presence like a GPS, David heard her voice and raced towards the sound of it, panic and fear in his heart like he hadn't ever experienced. Why hadn't he brought his gun down?! He felt his breath catch, while he began running.

"You little fucking _whore! _I knew it, I fucking knew it you know that!?" Charlie pointed a finger at the bartender. "I have a gun, you little bitch, don't even think about it." She stood with a hand frozen over the phone, the only witness to a psychotic breakdown she had no idea what to do about.

"Charlie, you don't know what you're talking about…" Vivienne pleaded, now truly scared he wasn't bluffing. She'd seen his private hand gun collection, it wouldn't be a stretch to believe he was concealing some weapon.

"Oh? Don't I? You're hair is all messed up and you're drinking gin. You only do that after you've been fucked, like a good little whore. So. What the fuck happened, then? I'm supposed to believe you?"

David listened from behind a corner wall, all attention heightened as if blind, since he didn't have eyes on him.

Vivienne was terrified, feeling as though her superb confidence in her attorney skills would be the only thing to BS her out of this situation. "Charlie? How can I marry you if I don't know how to speak to you?" Vivienne assumed a role as if she was truly innocent and no one had heard anything. She didn't know that both David and Charlie had come in on opposites sides of the hotel, and neither had heard her confession to the bar tender.

"What do you mean?" Charlie lowered his voice, and steadied his breathing a little, but didn't release his arms.

"Charlie, Christ, do you really think I would fuck my father's friend? He's old enough to be _my _dad for godssake, you sound insane, baby…. I wouldn't… I… wouldn't." _I wouldn't think of it, I wouldn't ever want him more than I want you… _the lies rushed through her mind, but she couldn't bring herself to put them into words. The truth was, if she got through this with minimal damage she'd spend the rest of her life finding ways to fuck his brains out…. _God, please, Rossi, wake up, wake up and come looking for me. _The tears began to form again for the millionth time this evening, and though they weren't for Charlie, he bought them, hook, line, and sinker, as if that were all he needed to be convinced.

"Christ, Vivienne. I'm sorry. You just make me crazy sometimes." Charlie hugged her too hard, pressing her face into his chest and caressing her head with the nails of his fingertips, a controlling gesture that meant he was not above hurting her for real if she "made" him crazy again.

"I'm sorry, Charlie, your mom… the planning board… everything was just too much, I just needed some space… I needed a drink. Don't you think, if I were fucking someone else I'd be in their room?" She struggled to get her head free a bit, to look up to him, praying to God she was convincing, and still so scared her heart was beating a mile a minute.

David knew she was lying, he knew she was in self-preservation mode, but something she had said made his stomach hurt worse. He _was _old enough to be her father. He quickly thought of what to do… she was in his arms, he could easily make her a hostage in this unpredictable state, anger, possibly armed, though he hadn't shown proof, David would not assume he wasn't carrying. Of all of his most awful options, he settled on the one that could be safest for his girl, _his girl.. _that was the second time this night he'd thought those words. They were somehow both paternal and loving, she was in his blood, he'd known her, her entire life.

"Charlie." David walked around the corner, disgusted by the sight of Vivienne turning around in his arms. The look she wore was both apologetic and desperately pleading, terrified.

"I think we should have a talk. I seem to have…. Mislead you with my intentions. Miss? Two whiskey's, neat?" He casually glanced at the sweet young girl, frozen in shock at the fact she'd just been threatened with a gun. "Don't worry, sweetheart, things just got a little out of control. No one will hurt you tonight, I give you my word." He winked at her, and his softened voice seemed to assure her. Vivienne's eyes fluttered slightly at the sound, it was the same one from her childhood. The same voice that meant everything would be okay, no matter what he had to sacrifice. And in that moment it was not just the bartenders peace of mind that was restore.

Vivienne knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that David Anthony Rossi was about to save the day – her day. Right now, he was her savior, her lover, her everything. The small doubts she'd carried before about making a future with him, dissolved, and the faintest smile cracked her lips. And he saw.

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	8. Chapter 8

**TheCrmsonfkr, pj16238, davidrossi, wnight, DC, loricjohnson, Nightwhat**

**For you.**

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"Dave…" Charlie stammered, pulling Vivienne closer to him. David struggled not to cringe, as her face changed into a deeper fear. Something was more wrong with Charlie than she'd shared with him earlier, and he wished they'd spent a little more time speaking about him – though he didn't regret the way they _had _spent their time.

The bartender set two whiskeys on the bar, and David picked them up, motioning for Charlie to follow him into the low lit lounge. "Vivienne, go get your things, get ready to go home. I just want to clear the air with Charlie." David ordered, an air of authority in his voice that left no doubt that no one should dare question him. Vivienne nodded, too eagerly, and ran to the elevators, the grip on her loosened only because Charlie had a moment of wisdom in which he decided not to challenge Rossi in a room with two witnesses.

David sat in a high, red-leather back chair near an artificial gas fireplace, and handed the extra tumbler of whiskey to a silent, following Charlie, who sat opposite of him on a small brown couch. David raised an eyebrow, and watched purposefully and obviously out of one eye, as the elevators finally dinged, and Vivienne was safe inside, her back to the fiasco. Calmly, and with every ounce of malice he felt in his bones, he leveled a stare at Charlie, lifting his chin, then took a long pull from the glass.

"So." Charlie started unwisely, not knowing how to begin his tirade. Regardless of David's intentions, in his mind, Vivienne had no business anywhere he wasn't aware and approving of. His one mistake was taking a tone with David that even hinted he may not know how to direct the conversation.

"So." David echoed, his tone deeper, sure of himself. Charlie's mistake was speaking before he knew what to say, David fortunately never had that problem.

"I just don't think… it's appropriate … a married woman, in a hotel room with another man." Charlie stammered, trying to emulate David's cool composure, crossing his legs and taking a long drink from the too-strong liquid, and giving himself away with a grimace.

"You just threatened an employee of this hotel with a gun, Charlie. That's a serious indicator of jealousy issues." David tested the waters, holding his anger until he knew for sure if this piece of shit was armed or not.

"Look, I'm sorry about that, I got… I got out of control. I don't know what it is about her… she's just… she makes me nuts!" Charlie looked around the lounge, which was decorated more like a cabin hall than anything, feeling more uncomfortable by the moment. Rossi read his guilt and insecurity like a children's book.

"Do you go checking up on your fiancé often, armed?"

Charlie nervously laughed briefly. "No.. I'm not… I just said that, she..the waitress, she looked like she was about to call the cops." He made eye contact with David briefly, a little boys fear in his eyes. David delighted in his fear for only a moment, and instantly detested him again.

Knowing now that he was literally no threat whatsoever, David calmly placed his whiskey glass on the table next to his chair, and stood up. Slowly he buttoned his cuffs, his shadow seemingly larger over the fireplace as he took a small step towards Charlie.

Charlie squirmed slightly in his seat, but maintained his petulant stare, as if daring anyone to mess with a Van Order son.

David sat down with a huff on the inn table in front of the couch Charlie sat upon.

"If you ever lay a hand on my girl again, I will personally chop it off." David laced his fingers as his elbows rested on his knees, his body language relaxed, as if he were about to comfort an old friend. He took the hand Charlie was holding the whiskey in. "I don't think drinking is good for someone with such anger." Charlie seemed frozen in fear as he watched the older man remove the glass from his hands, one of David's hands held his wrist and the other placed the glass calmly next to the other. Suddenly, a white, searing-hot pain shot through Charlie as David twisted his pinkie so quickly he didn't know what had happened until he looked down, in shock, and saw that it was bent in the opposite direction.

"FU-!" David slammed his free hand down on Charlie's mouth as he attempted to scream.

"Shhh… Keep your mouth shut before I break another one." Charlie whimpered like a child, while David slightly applied pressure to the broken bone.

"Now. Here's how this is going to work. You're going to call of the wedding. You are, not Vivienne. And you are going to hold total responsibility for things going down-hill. You are never, _ever _going to say a bad word against her reputation or why things broke off, you are going to sing nothing but her praises. You will be heard saying repeatedly, how unworthy of her you are." David widened his eyes at the simpering Charlie, body language asking if he understood. Charlie nodded his head when after a few seconds of silence, Rossi pulled the broken finger farther down to the top of his hand. "You will not be friends with anyone affiliated with her firm, you won't even keep up with her family. You will disappear from Vivienne's life like the rat-scum you are, and if I even catch a _whiff _otherwise, I'll break every rib bone you got," David pulled the broken finger down farther it's normal position, for emphasis, pressing his hand harder against Charlie's mouth when he groaned. "And every time I have to hear your name after that, as it pertains to my girl, in any negative light whatsoever, I'll find you. And then I'll break something else, until there's nothing left to break but your head. Got that?" David pushed his head back, releasing his hold on the young man, and watched with barely contained anger as Charlie's blond head bounced on the back of the couch and forward, groaning.

"I said, GOT THAT?"

Charlie nodded, holding his pinkie, rage in his eyes. David had seen that malicious look plenty of times before, and all on the faces of very evil men. David pulled his chin up to look him in the eyes, "I knew you could be reasonable. But should you have a lapse in memory about our talk, I'll be there to remind you."

Resolve mixed with worry came over David as the adrenaline of this confrontation ebbed away, when he stepped into the elevator.

Did she really feel that way? That he was old enough to be her father? He knew that in the back of his mind, he felt the same way, but it didn't change his love for her, it didn't change the level of attraction he had towards her.. .it didn't change the fact that in this moment he'd trade his life to hold her in his arms, to know that she was safe.

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"David!" Vivienne breathed, jumping off the bed and running into his arms as he walked into the hotel room. "Are you okay? What happened?" She held him at arms length briefly, looked him up and down, then hugged him again. David registered many things at once, she was looking for bodily damage, and to have expected that was no indicator of her lack of faith in _him, _but rather of a knowledge of Charlie being violent. He also felt his heart beating rapidly, anger with Charlie, adrenaline crashing, fear for his future with Vivienne, and double fear that she'd still want to marry the prick.

"Are _you _ok?" David kissed her forehead, running a hand through her hair before looking her in the eyes, seeing the anxious look on her face.

"I'm fine. I'm fine." She nervously put a piece of hair behind her ears. David stalled her hand, catching it by the wrist and lifting the short sleeve on her blouse where bruises were already purpling on her biceps. He inhaled sharply, nostrils flaring in rage. "It's nothing!" She pulled away, shoving the sleeve back down. David stood for a moment in a true moment of confusion – if he left now he might catch Charlie before he was leaving and do more damage than breaking a little finger. But now all he wanted was to be near her, to ask her for the truth, should he leave town now and let her have her wedding or did she want him to stay?

"Vivvy. Did you expect him to hurt me?"

"I know you can take care of yourself." She rubbed her arms, the places where Charlie had hurt her seeming to start to sting, now she noticed the bruising. Sitting heavily on the bed, the drama weighing on her, she looked up into David's face, timidly. _Oh, he's not going to let you sleep now, he wants answers. _Her gin-addled brain realized.

"That's not what I asked. Have you seen him be violent before like that? Has he ever threatened you?"

Vivienne shook her head, scrunching her face in an effort not to cry. "Not me. I've seen him rough people up though…"

David raised his chin and looked around the room, laboring to keep calm. "And do you want to be with a violent man?"

"NO! I told you earlier I didn't want to marry him." She couldn't look him in the eyes, why was he still asking about this? Hadn't she made it perfectly clear earlier how she wanted him?

"Charlie is going to call off the wedding." He answered with a tired sigh, somehow only slightly relieved that part was at least out of the way. He picked up the chair abandoned earlier, and sat in it again facing her.

"What? Why? … I mean, how?" Vivienne's face shot up, searching his, scared to believe such an incredible piece of news.

"We had a chat." David reached his hands out for hers, and she took them. Pulling her into his lap, he felt the same protective, absolute love for her that he had when he had held her as a child.

"Wow…" She breathed, an air of mystery now about him that she found irresistible. "You went all O.G. Chicago-Rossi on him, didn't you?" She looked in both of his eyes, her hands running up his chest and resting on his shoulder.

The corner of his mouth lifted in what could only be interpreted as an _I'll never tell _grin. He knew she was referring to his sordid past growing up on the wrong side of the tracks in Chicago, running errands for the mob until he got away by enlisting. "Vivienne." He used a ton one would use with a child when they were caught doing something naughty. She gulped, he had figured her out.

"The next time you want to know how I feel about you, let's forgo such elaborate set-ups as fake engagements, hmm?"

She nodded eagerly in agreement. David kissed her, amused and relieved that his haunch was a good one - that she had called him here after figuring that if he loved her, he wouldn't be able to let her get married without at least telling her.

"What gave me away?" Vivienne smiled, cupping his cheek and forming a new idea in her head.

"A profiler doesn't share his secrets." He grinned, kissing her neck. She giggled quietly as his goatee tickled her. "So what do you plan on doing with that white dress, now?" David tested, trailing kisses up her neck to her ear.

She leaned into the divine feel of his lips on her skin. "We could mess it all up in the sand, fuck on the beach?" She offered, careful not to suggest that she wanted him to ask her to wear it for him, on _their _wedding day. She knew he loved her, but after three marriages he may have sworn it off, she didn't want to pressure him.

Dave chuckled, a low laugh, reverberating through her. "Maybe a stop to Tiffany's first, then the courthouse, then the beach… What do you think?" He rested his forehead on her shoulder, and gently removed Charlie's ring from her hand.

"I think that sounds wonderful." Tears welled in her eyes, as he lifted his head to look at her.

"I love you, Vivvy." David covered her lips with his, pouring all of the passion he felt for her into it, as he heart seemed to swell to overflowing – she'd just accepted his proposal…. She was finally his…

"I … love … you… too…" She said between kisses, tearing his shirt off with some difficulty.

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_**Fin!**_

_**I had a blast writing this, as unorthodox and edgy though it was… wasn't sure how the whole father/daughter angle would be received but I am a huge fan of Lolita so I found it to be hot. **_

_**Thank you to everyone who read, favorited, followed, and reviewed this story.**_

**TheCrmsonfkr, pj16238, davidrossi, wnight, DC, loricjohnson, Nightwhat - - - Thank you again. I write for you =) 3**


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